Slideshow: The 10 Most Common Database Vulnerabilities

AppSec's Team SHATTER shares the top 10 database vulnerabilities it sees most commonly plaguing organizations over and over again

Removing default, blank and weak log-in credentials is an important first step for filling chinks in your database armor.

Image courtesy of Active Experts

When your database platform fails to sanitize inputs, attackers are able to execute SQL injections similar to the way they do in Web-based attacks, eventually allowing them to elevate privileges and gain access to a wide spectrum of functionality.

Image courtesy of Softpedia

Organizations need to ensure that privileges are not given to users who will eventually collect them -- make users part of groups or roles and administering the rights through those roles.

Image courtesy of SQL Server Central

Every database installation comes with add-on packages of all shapes and sizes that are mostly going to go unused by any one organization. Look for packages you don't use and disable or uninstall them.

Image courtesy of 4bp Blogspot

Organizations need to be on the lookout for unsafe configurations that may be enabled by default or turned on for convenience of DBAs or application developers.

Image courtesy of Filebuzz.com

Buffer overflow vulnerabilities are exploited by flooding input sources with far more characters than an application was expecting--say, by adding 100 characters into an input box asking for a SSN.

Image courtesy of Symantec

Databases frequently sport common vulnerabilities that allow attackers to escalate privileges within a little known and low privilege account and gain access to administrator rights.

Image courtesy of PhotoBucket

SQL Slammer provided a very illuminating illustration of how attackers can use DBMS vulnerabilities to take down database servers through a flood of traffic.

Image courtesy of elistmania.com

The risk of getting hacked today is higher than the risk of applying a patch that will go haywire.

Image courtesy of Securosis

Never store sensitive data in clear text within a database table. And all connections to the database should always use encryption.